Railway-switch.



No. 800,529. PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905. F. W. WOLF.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14, 19w

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES.

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PATBNTBD SEPT. 26, 1905.

P. W. WOLF.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14. 1905.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

:atented Sept. 26, 1905.

Application filed January 1 1, 1905. Serial 110,241,025.

1'0 (M w/tmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. WOLF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved railwayswitch, automatic to the extent that it closes after the passage of a train onto the side track. It is characterized by improvements, as will more fully appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the switch closed. Fig. .2 is a similar view, open. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the main-track rails are indicated at 6, and the side-track rail at 7.

8 represents the switch-points, pivoted at 9, connected together by bars 10 and also by a plate 11. The points swing laterally to open and close the switch.

The switch-stand is indicated at 12 with its vertical lever 13 connected by drag-links 1 1 and 15 to a plate 16, located directly under the plate 11. The plate 11 is slidably superposed on the plate 16, said plates being secured together by headed pins 17, which extend through slots 18 to allow the relative sliding movement mentioned.

The plates 11 and 16 are respectively struck up and down to form a longitudinally-extending recess for the coiled spring 19. This spring bears at one end against the plate 11 and at the other end against a projecting lug 20 on the plate 16, and the pressure of the spring tends to extend or slide the plates lengthwise to the extent permitted by the pins 17 in the slots 18. I

The respective plates 11 and 16 have notches 11 and 16, which register at half-throw or quarter-turn of the switch-lever 13. The top plate 11 has secured thereto a pair of flat springs 21, which carry at their ends wedgeshaped lugs 22, properly positioned to enter the notches 11 and 16 and lock the plates 11 and 16 together, when the notches are caused to register. The springs 21 normally lift the lugs 22 out of the notches. Said lugs are caused to be engaged into the notches by means hereinafter described.

Extending along beside the inner edge of the tread of the outer rail 6 and the outer switch-point 8 are tripper-bars 23, carried by arms 24, extending from rock-shafts 25,

which are carried, respectively, in bearingblocks 26, mounted on the road-bed in the case of the main track and in bearing-blocks 27, secured to the cross-bars 10, in the case of the switch-point. The trippers 23 are arranged so that the wheel-flanges will ride thereon and depress the same when a'train is passing. Each rock-shaft 25 has at the end an arm 28, arranged to bear upon the top of the spring 21 and depress the same when a wheel flange rides upon the tripper bar. When either spring is depressed, the plates 11 and 16 are locked together, as above referred to.

The tripper-bars 23 are normally held in raised position by springs 29, which are secured to the under side of said bars and bear upon the flanges of the rail base. These springs are of considerable strength, so that the tripper-bars cannot be operated except under great weight, as of a railroad-car. The target is operated by a crank connection to a rod 31, which is connected to the plate 11.

With respect to the operation it should be premised that the arm of the lever 13, which is attached to the drag-link 14, is of such length that the switch will be opened by a quarterturn thereof. In Fig. 1 the switch is shown closed. Since the plates 11 and 16 are slidable with respect to each other except when locked by the lugs 22, it will be seen that the switch cannot be opened except when they are locked. because when not locked the plate 16 would simply slide back and forth on the under side of the plate 11 without moving the latter. To let a train from the main track onto the side track, the engine is brought to the position where its wheel-flanges depress the tripper 23, causing the arm 28 to bear on top of the spring 21. The switch is then given a quarter-turn in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1. This draws the plate 16 inwardly or toward the side track, and at the quarter-turn the plate 16 has moved to the position where the lug 22, by reason of the pressure on the spring 21, snaps down into the notch 16. This looks the plates 11 and 16 together. The switch-lever 13 is then moved the remaining quarter-turn to make a full half-turn. The effect of this is to push the plates 11 and 16 outwardly, which swings the switch-points 8 and opens the switch. As long as the wheel-flanges continue to press down the tripper-bar 23 the switch will remain open. When the last car shall have passed off of the switch-bars 23, the springs 21 lift the lugs 22 from the notches 16, thus unlocking the plates. It will be understood that when the switch-lever 13 was given the first quarter-turn the spring 19 was compressed by the movement of the plate 16 under the plate 11. When the cars shall have passed and the plates shall have been unlocked, as above stated, the spring acts and throws the plate 11, and with it the switch-points 8, toward the side track, thereby automatically closing the switch and opening the main track.

When a train is leaving the side track for the main track, its wheel-flanges strike the points 8 andthrow them over by force. The spring 19 yields to allow this movement, and when the train shall have passed onto the main track the springacts to restore the switchpoints to the normally closed position.

It will be seen that the switch is safe from ordinary tampering therewith, since it cannot be operated except the tripper-bars are depressed. The tripper-bars are so long that one or more car-wheels will always be upon either or both of them during the passage of the train.

\Vhatl claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a switch, in combination,a switchpoint and lever normally disconnected, trainactuated means extending along the track in both directions from the switch-point to conthat the switch may be opened by the lever, and means to swing the switclrpoints to closed position when the plates are unlocked.

3. In a switch, in combination, switch-points arranged to swing to contact with opposite rails, a plate connecting said points and having notches, another plate slidable under said plate andconnected to the switch-lever and having notches arranged to register with the said notches, springs secured to one of the plates and carrying lugs, arranged to enter the notches and lock the plates together, trip per-bars extending along beside the rails,'to be depressed by wheel-flanges, levers connected to the tripper-bars and having arms which bear upon the springs and force the lugs into the notches when the bars are depressed, and a spring located between the said plates and acting to swing the points closed when the plates are unlocked.

4. In a switch, in combination, a switchpoint and lever, superposed plates slidable upon each other, one of which is connected to the switch-point and the other of which is connected to the lever, and having notches arranged to register when the latter plate is moved by the lever, a spring between the plates, tending to shift the plate connected to the switch-point to close the switch, yielding lugs carried by one of the plates, and trainactuated means to force the lugs into the notches to lock the plates together when the notches are caused to register.

In testimony whereof'I havesigned my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK V. WOLF. lVitnesses:

SIG-NA FEL'rsKoe, H. G. BATOHELOR. 

